FC4 CF-based Router

[Bob Chiodini]

On Wed, 2005-12-14 at 21:46 -0800, Steven Ringwald wrote:
> Hi all!
> 
> I have created a small FC4-based router installation on a hard-disk. I
> would like to take this installation and burn it to a 256mB compact
> flash.
> 
> What I have been thinking of doing is formating the flash vfat,
> installing isolinux on it, booting the kernel/initrd that way, and
> then loading ext2 image-file that was created from my / directory. My
> problem is, I haven't been able to get this to work yet.
> 
> Does anyone know how to do this, or know of an easier/better way of
> doing this?
> 
> Thanks!
> Steve
> 
> 

Steve,

Do you have a CF interface in your development/desktop?  If so, then why
not just copy your small installation directly to an ext2 or ext3
partition on the CF and grub-install grub as the boot loader?  

If you don't have a CF interface on your desktop, then either get one,
or if your target can boot a CD...  Boot up Knoppix, format the CF, copy
your small installation to the CF over the network (SCP, NFS) then grub-
install grub to the CF.

You will most likely want to mount your root file system read-only and
place all of your volatile data in a tmpfs file system to avoid
shortening the life of the CF.  

You can also put your entire file system in a ramdisk (initrd) and run
the system out of RAM.  You will probably need a lot of RAM, but you
don't have to worry about FSCK'ing the CF and it's probably faster
without the CF I/O.

CF to IDE adapters:

http://mach5products.com/merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=CF

We use one similar to the $19.95 version near the bottom of the page.

Bob...